Feeler mechanism for looms



' C. B. LANE. FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOUTIVIS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1920- 130552 Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

UNETE STATES Learner car es.

CHARLES IB. LANE, OFKNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO DEAPEB CORPORA-TION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIQN OF MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

Application filed June 19, 1920. Serial No. 390,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. LANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county'of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms, whereby a fillingis re plenished prior to complete exhaustion.

Heretofore, several different kinds of feeler mechanisms have beensuggested to provide a fresh supply of filling when that in the activeshuttle has reached a predetermined degree of exhaustion, andamongfeeler causes the feeler to slide or move longitudinally along thefilling carrier or bobbin and eifect replenishment of filling through atrain of mechanism actuated by such movement of the feeler. The inclinedtype of feeler as disclosed, for instance, in the Stimpson patent abovementioned, has

proved to be very satisfactory and efficient in operation, and thepresent invention relates more particularly to this type of feeler andto improvements thereon.

In operation of the inclined type of feeler, should the feeleraccidentally slip or slide along the filling and not be held therebywhen a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on adetectingbeat, a premature action of fillingreplenishment occurs andincidentally, the filling on the discarded or rejected filling carrierbecomes waste. An important feature of the present invention therefore,consists of a lock which prevents the untimely action of the feeler andpermits the inclined feeler to move along the filling carrier or bobbinonly after the filling has become nearly exhausted.

The inclined type of feeler is moved frontwardly on each detecting beatof the.

to the inclined feeler so that as the feeler is moved frontwardl'y inits inclined path relative to the lay movement, it will be permitted topartake of the lateral displacement due to its inclined frontwardmovement. i V

Other features and novel combination of parts will hereinafter bedescribedin connection with the accompanying drawings which show a good,practical form of the present invention. I

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewshowing a feeler mechanism embodying thepresentin-' vention and the relation of parts when a working supply offilling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the rela tion of parts when the fillingis substantially exhausted on a detecting beat.

It has not been deemed necessary in the drawings in this case, nor inthe'present specification, to disclose the filling replenishingmechanism or the train of mecha nism which utilizes the side swipemovement of the feeler to effect replenishment 5 of filling, becausesuch mechanisms are old and well known in the art, and moreover, thetrain of mechanism between the feeler and the devices which controlfilling relenishment are shown and described in the timpson patenthereinbefore referred to, and to which-reference maybe had.

The feeler carrier or stand comprises a plate 1 which may be adjustablysecured to the loom frame by the bolt 2 which. prefera-blypassesthrougha slot 3'formed'in the feeler stand. The feeler stand aflord's'a 28formed on or extending from convenient support for the feeler and feelerlock. The feeler lhas a toothed filling engaging end portion and extendsfrontwardly through a controller or slide 63 ing a slot 7 somewhatlarger than the dimensions of the feeler which extends through it. T hefront portion of the feeler extends through a rocking bearing 8pivotally supported at 9 on the feeler stand. The controller slide 6through wiich the feeler 4 extends is movable laterally of the feelerstand in a suitable guideway 10 and is preferably held in place by anoverlying plate 11 which may be secured to the feeler stand by thescrews 12. The controller slide 6 is connected by the rod or t ansmitter13 with the train of mechanism for controlling replenishment of filling.

The feeler l has secured thereto the bridge 14, the side arms 15 and 16of which may conveniently bear upon the upper surface 17 of the feelerstand and support the feele-r as it is moved toward and from the frontof the loom in an inclined direction. A lug 18 is connected to thebridge-piece 1e and is adapted to engage a resetting cam 19. A spring 20interposed between the bearing 8 and the bridge-piece is normally actsto hold the feeler yieldingly in its rearward posit-ion. The parts thusfar described are or may be substantially the same as the similar partsshown and described in the Stimpson patent heretofore men tioned.

The shuttle 21 contains the usual filling carrier or bobbin 22 on whichthe filling is wound, and the feeler a, as fully described in theStimpson patent, is adapted to feel through the side opening 23 of theshuttle to ascertain the condition of the filling on each detectingbeat.

Mounted for sliding movement toward and from the rear of the loom is thefeeler lock, and parts are connected to the fecler lock and to thefeeler which normally prevent the feeler from sliding movement along thefilling carrier when a working supply of filling is present on adetecting heat. but which permit such movement of the fcelcr when thefilling is nearly exhausted.

In the present instance of the invention, the feeler lock comprises alock carrier as which may be supported for sliding move ment toward andfrom the front of the loom upon the feeler stand. As shown in thedrawings, the lock carrier is provided with slots 25 through which passthe guide screws 26 for guiding the lock carrier in its reciprocatingmovements. One of the wings of the bridge 14, the wing 16 in theillustrated form of the invention, is provided with a locking recess 27which, when the feeler is in its rearward feeling position, is engagedby a lockin projection or lug the feeler carrier at. A spring 29normallyacts upon the lock carrier 24 to move it rearwardly into theposition indicated in 1. Une end of the spring may be convenientlysecured to pin 30 a fixed part, and the other end of the spring may besecured to a hook 81 formed on or projecting from the lock carrier 24:.

The lock carrier 24- has secured thereto a hunter which, when thefilling has become nearly exhausted, engages a surface on the lay,preferably the wall of the shuttle, on a detecting beat, and moves thecarrier 24: frontwardly. In the present instance the carrier has thelaterally-extending block which carries the slotted arm 33 to which isadjustably secured the hunter 8 1. The adjustable connection between thehunter and the slotted arm 33 may be convei'iiently formed by thelocking nuts 85, one at each side of the slotted arm 33. The rear endportion of the hunter is preferably provided with a nonabrasivesubstance such as felt or a pad 36 so that the surface engaged by thehunter will not be marred or injured.

Since the feeler is supported. for movement toward and from the front ofthe loom in a direction inclined to the path of the lay or thelongitudinal axis of the shuttle, and passes through the bearing 8,

it follows that the rear end portion ofthe inclined feeler will have aslight lateral swinging movement on each detecting beat of the lay, eventhough the filling-engaging end of the feeler is held from sliding alongthe filling carrier by engagement of the filling with the teeth of thefeel r. The interengaging portions of the fecler and feeler lock,tl'iercfore, are made loose to permit such. limited lateral or swingingmovement of the feeler on each detecting beat, but prevent movement ofthe feeler longitudinally along the filling carrier or filling. Thisprojection for permitting the limited lateral movement of the feeler dueto its frontwai'd inclined movement, is made in the present instance byproviding the looking recess 27 of somewhat wider or larger dimensionsthan the locking projections 28, the construction being such that theinterengaging parts 27 and 28 between the feeler and the feeler lockpermit the feeler a limited lateral movement on each detecting heat, butloclr'the feeler from sliding or longitudinal movement along thefillingcarrier or filling until the filling is substantially exhausted.When the filling is substantially exhausted, however, the hunter will bemoved frontwardly in advance of the frontward movement of the feeler bythe frontward pressure of a surface carried by the lay, such forinstance, as the shuttle itself, thereby disengaging the locking recessand projection, whereupon the feelcr mosses is freed to longitudinalsliding movement along the filling carrier when the filling reaches thedesired degree of substantial exhaustion.

It is found desirable or convenient, in the present instance of theinvention, to support the feeler lock on an inclined position relativeto the lay movement and substantially parallel to the inclined positionof the feeler, so that the feeler lock when moved front-wardly, willmove in an inclined path as prescribed by the guides in which the feelerlock or carrier is mounted.

The bunter is preferably connected to the feeler lock for adjustment inthree directions, one in a direction toward and from the front of the100111 as by the nuts 35 and the thread ed portion of the bunter;another in a vertical direction by'means of the slotted arm 33; and theother in a lateral direction in theblock 32, the last of wnichadjustments may be effected by loosening the screw 37 and moving thestem 38 of the slotted arm 38 in the block and then setting up the screw37.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combinationof afeeler supported for movement toward and from the front of the loomin a path inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle and the rearend of which has a normal lateral movement relative to the front of thefeeler when aworking supply of filling is present in the shuttle on adetecting beat and an abnormal lateral move ment along the fillingcarrier by the frontward pressure upon the feeler when the filling issubstantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a feeler lock that hasinterlocking connection with the feeler and permits normal lateral butprevents abnormal lateral movement of the rear end of the feelerrelative to the front end thereof on a detecting beatuntil the fillingreaches a predetermined degree of exhaustion and then permits theincreased abnormal lateral movement of the rear end of the feeler due tofrontward pressure upon it. I

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feelersupported for movement toward and from the front of the loom in a pathinclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle and the rear end ofwhich has a normal lateral movement relative to the front of the feelerwhen a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on adetecting beat and an abnormal lateral movement along the fillingcarrier by the frontward pressure upon the feeler when the filling issubstantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a feeler lock, connectionsbetween the feeler and feeler lock which permit normal lateral movementof the rear end of the feeler and transmit the frontward pressure on thefeeler to the feeler lock on each deand feeler look when the filling issubstantially exhausted on a detecting beat that the feeler may beabnormally frontward pressure.

3. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination, a feelerthat is sup? ported in a position and for movement in clined to the pathof the lay on each detecting beat and is given a sliding movement in adirection longitudinally of the filling car rier or bobbin by thefrontward pressure when the filling is substantially exhausted on adetecting beat, a feeler lock, engaging parts, one connected to theinclined feeler and the other connected to the feeler lock,- constructedand arranged to permit limited lateral movement of the feeler on eachdetecting beat due to. its inclined frontward. movement relative to thelay, and means on the lay for disenga ing said parts and permittingsliding movement of the feeler longitudinally of the filling carrier oneach de-' tecting beat when the filling is nearly exhausted. I

4. Ina feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler supportedin a position and for movement inclined to the path of the lay on eachdetecting beat and held from movement along the filling carrier orbobbin under the ,frontward pressure on a detecting beat by engagementwith the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and thereuponbeing displaced laterally along the filling carrier or bobbin, a feelerlock, and connections between the feeler lock and feeler which permitlimited swinging movement of the feeler on each detecting beat until thefilling reaches a predetermined degree of exhaustion and which are thendisengaged on thebeat-up to permit lateral displacement of the feeleralong the filling carrier or bobbin.

displaced by the 5. In a feeler mechanism forlooms, the I combination-ofa feeler that is supported in a position and formovement inclined to thepath of the lay on each detecting beat, a; feeler lock which isdisplaced frontwardly by frontward pressure of the feeler against it oneach detecting beat until the filling reaches a predetermined degree ofexhaustion and is thereupon pushed frontwardly by a surface on the layindependently of the feeler, and locking connections between the feelerand feeler lock constructed and arranged to permit limited lateralmovement of the feeler on each detecting beat until the filling reachesa condition of near exhaustion and to be disengaged'during the beat-upwhen filling is substantially exhausted for freeing the feeler for sideslipping movement along the filling carrier or bobbin.

mechanism for looms, the combination of feeler that is supported toenter the shuttle in an inclined position and is given a frontwardmovement of normal inclination to the path of the lay on each detectingbeat until the filling is substan tially exhausted whereupon it is givenan abnormal inclination to the path of the lay due to the slip of thefeeler longitudinally along the filling carrier or bobbin, a feeler lockthat has interengaging connection with the ieeler and permits normalinclined move ment of the feeler frontwardly on each dc tecting heatuntil the filling reaches a coildition of substantial exhaustion andthen permits the abnormal inclined movement of the feeler, and means forreplenishing the filling when the feeler is given its abnormal inclinedmovement.

7. In a ieeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feelersupported for movement toward and from the front of the loom in a pathinclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, a bridge movable withthe feeler, a feeler lock including a lock carrier, a locking lug and alocking recess, one on the bridge and the other on the lock carrier, aspring normally acting to hold the lug and recess in engagement toprevent sliding movement of the feeler along the filling carrier untilthe filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat and thereuponbecoming disengaged to free the feeler' to movement along the fillingcarrier due to the frontward pressure upon it.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feelersupported for movement toward the front of the loom in a path inclinedto the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, a feeler lock comprising a lockcarrier mounted independently of the feeler, a spring normally acting tohold the lock carrier yieldingly in rearward position, two lockingmeans, one connected to the feeler and the other to the carrier,constructed and arranged to permit limited lateral move ment of thefeeler on each detecting beat due to its inclined frontward movement andto free the feeler to longitudinal movement along the filling carrierwhen the filling is nearly exhausted on a detecting beat.

9 In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

6, In a feelercomhination of a feeler supported for move ment toward thefront of the loom in a path inclined to the longitudinal axis of theshuttle, a feeler lock, an interlocking projection and recess, oneconnected to the feeler and the other to the feeler lock, a springacting upon the feeler lock and normally tending to maintain theprojection and recess interlocked to prevent sliding movement of thefeeler longitudinally of the filling carrier on a detecting beat untilthe filling is substantially exhausted, and a hunter adapted todisengage the projection and recess when the filling is nearly exhaustedon a detecting heat.

10. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feelersupported for movement toward the front of the loom in a path inclinedto the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, a feeler loclrthat is mountedfor movement toward and from the front of the loom independently of thefeeler, an interlocking projection and recess, one connected to thefeeler and the other to the feeler look, a spring acting upon the feelerlock and normally tending to maintain the projection and recessinterlocked to prevent sliding movement of the feeler longitudinally ofthe filling carrier on a detecting beat until the filling issubstantially exhausted, and a hunter adapted to disengage theprojection and recess when the filling is nearly exhausted on adetecting heat.

11. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feelersupported for move ment toward the front of the loom in a di rectioninclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle by the frontwardpressure of a surface within the shuttle on a detecting heat, a feelerlock, connections between the feeler and feeler lock constructed andarranged to permit a limited lateral movement of the feeler due to itsinclined movement toward the front of the loom, a hunter, and means forconnecting the hunter to the feeler lock for adjustment in threedirections, one toward and from the front of the loom, one vertically,and one laterally.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES B. LANE.

